friedrichs



Jul 26 1927.

y t w. FRIEDRICHS I ECHANISIFOR FEEDING LETTERS OR OTHER MAIL TO PREPAYIENT IACHINBS Filed April 10. 1924' 2 ShQlll-Sh'it 1 /n vent-or W Quin-4A 1,637 53 y 1927' w. FRIEDRICHS ,2

IBCHANISI FOR FEEDING LETTERS 0R OTHER MAIL TO PREPAYIENT IIACHINBS 'Filed April 10. 1924 2 Shoots-Shut 2 Fig.2.

lnventol':

I E 3 I Patented July 26, 1927.

. unwise s TA res WILHELM riu'nnmcn's,

or lemma, GERMANY.

Humanism non FEEDNINGJ LETTERS 03 oTiinRaIAIL f'ro i nammeamicmms.

Application filed April 10, 1924,s=ria1-ND. 705,641, and incerman n rn19,1923.

This invention relates to amechanism for feeding letters or other mail to thepre payment machines. 'l/Vhen mail of very different thicknesses is fed to the prepayment machines the inconveniencemakes itself felt tlrat'the machine no longer works perfectly -accordingto the original adjustingof the machine-when the 'lettersor other mail are too thick ortoo thin. In order to avoid this inconvenience the table or head of theme: chine is, aceording to theinvention, periodicallyraised or lowered automatically for an extent determined bythe thickness of the mail so that tl-iedegree otopening otthe mouthin the workingp'osition corresponds to thei-thickness of themail. This periodical imovement is executed in nepayment machines, which i work with printing stamps moved up and down, additionally to the periodical movement of the stamp.

The table plate may for instance beraised or IOVBFQd-illl opposition to the action of springs by an eccentric or by a crank. Whenaaletter is put on the driving element, which is tittedwithfree-wheelmovement so that, after their-aising of the letter has heen completed it can continue tomove for a determined distanemnnakes a pawl come in gear with a rack or the like. This pawl locksthe table-plate in such amannerthat it isprevented from ascending IJIlOlitO its-next descending movement even it"the letter has comevout from between the stamping rolls or if the; thickness of the letter decreases suddenly. The locking prevents however only the:upward'movement .while the downward movement is not-inipedediat all in the case that the rear part of the letter be considerably thicker than the front part of the same. In order to insure, notwithstanding this locking, for letters which are of irregular thickness and become for instance gradually thinner, a. friction between the printing and feeding rolls which is sufficiently strong to push the letter after the stamping C0111- plete'ly out of the prepayment machine, the counter-pressure rolls could be elastically mounted in the table plate.

One embodiment of the invention is shown by way of example on the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the apparatus, the lateral cover plate being partly broken away.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of Fig. 1 seen from the right.

In t-he machine.frame the stamping roll 1 and-the feedingrolls 2 are pivotally mounted. Below these rolls-the machinetable 3'is arranged ivhi'cli is fixed on a plate l-adapted to be vertically displaced in guides 5 oi -the machine frame. The table has apertures through .which the 1 counter-pressure rolls 6 project. mounted on thebase plate 1 and in the front cover plate 8 so v that they may be 7 moved }in vertical direction. Springs Q' serve to hold said counter-pressure rolls=in the'uppenposition the counter-pressure rolls are adapted to yield in downward direction in opposi tion to the action ofsaid springs.

A frame lOconnectedwiththe lower edge otthebase plate 4 is connect'echby springs 11 with a bracket- 12 fixed in the machine frame so that the springs 11 -have-the tendency to pull the hase plate 4 and with it theitable 3 and the counter-pressurerolls 6 in upward-direction. All angular piece 13 iixedon the 'base :plate 4 carries a bolt 14 over which a slot 15 of the pul'l rod 16 is Jlaced. With this pull rod 16 alever 19 is ingedly connectedby means of a bolt 17, said lever,pivotally mounted on the pivot pin j18,:projecting from the machine frame. Aneccentric 21, acting upon the roller20 oi lever 19 presses this lever andconsequently the pull rod .16,.the base plate 4 and'the table 3 downwardin overcoming theaction of the These counter-pressure rolls are springs 11:50 that the" distance between the rolls 1 and 2 on the one hand andthe counter-pressure rolls 6 ontheother hand corresponds with :the greatestithickness of letters to: he stampedrby the 2 machine.

The driving speed of the eccentric is selected in such a manner that, during one revolution of the eccentric. the circumference of the stamp roll'l has travelled overa distance which is approximately equal to the length of a letter of folio size.

At one complete revolution of the eccentrio 21 the table is at first moved downward and later on upward again by the action of the springs 11. Shortly after the table or the counter-pressure rolls 6 have come in contact with the letter the upward movement ceases, the pull rod 16 continuing however to move upward under the action of the spring 22 for the length of slot 15.

At this additional movement of rod 16 the bolt 23 of the pull rod acts upon the arm 24 of the elbow lever 25 so that the arm 26 of the lever, which is hooked-shaped, comes all Ilu

in engagement with a space between teeth of the rack 27. The table 3 is thus locked against further movement in upward direction during this working period even if the letter should get thinner or if a thicker, shorter letter should have left the machine before the termination of this working period. This locking prevents therefore any irregular working of the machine or rattling of the same and a hard striking upon one of the printingand counter-pressure rolls. The arm 24 is maintained by spring 28 in contact with the above mentioned bolt 23.

As soon as the eccentric 21 makes the base plate t and consequently the table 3 move downward again in order to prepare the machine for the next following working period thepull rod 16 moves back so that the bolt 14 gets to the upper end of slot 15 and the pawl 26 is disengaged from rack 27 through the action of spr1ng'28.

lVhen a great number of thin letters have to be stamped successively the mechanism for adapting the machine to the thickness of the letters may be stopped by pulling the coupling pin 29, which connects the driving disk 30 for the eccentric 21 with the disk 32 keyed on the shaft 31 of the eccentric, out of disk 20 and in securing the same in the uncoupling position by turning it 180. The rod 33 can at the same time be brought from the position shown in dash lines into the position shown infull lines in order to prevent by its end the pawl 25 from coming in engagement with rack 27.

If the rod 33 remains in the position shown in dash lines the table can be brought, by simply pressing on its plate, into a position which corresponds to the thickness, of the letters, if for instance a great number of letters of the same sizebut of greater thickness than before are to be stamped.

I claim 1. Mechanism for feeding mail matter to a pie-payment machine, comprising stamping means, a table beneath said stamping means, means for vertically reciprocating said table, and means for arresting the upward movement of the table in dependence upon the thickness of the matter to be stamped.

2. Mechanism for feeding mail matter to a pre-payment machine, comprising stamping means, a vertically reciprocable table beneath said stamping means, a pull rod for moving said table downwardly, and means formovingsaid table upwardly, the upward travel being limited in accordance with the thickness of the matter to be fed, a pawl on said table, a rack fixed relative to the main frame of the machine, and means forcing said pawl into-engagement with said rack when said table reaches its upper limit for locking said table against further upward travel.

3. Mechanism for feeding mail matter to a pre-payment machine, comprising stamping means, a vertically reciprocable table beneath said stamping means, a pull rod for moving said table downwardly, a lost motion connection between said pull rod and said table, means for moving said table upwardly, the upward travel being limited in accordance with the thickness of the matter to be fed, a pawl pivoted to said table, a rack fixed relative to said table, means for imparting further movement to said pull rod upon the arrival of said table in its upper position, said further movement being permitted by said lost motion connection, and means actuated upon said further movement for engaging said pawl with said rack for preventing a further upward travel of said table.

4. Mechanism according to claim 1 wherein means are provided for rendering the reciprocating means inoperative.

5. Mechanism according to claim 2 wherein means are provided for rendering the pawl inoperative.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

WILHELM FRIEDRIGHS. 

